This we we delve into a very interesting topic - is the gas you're getting at the corner station better or worse than what you could be getting from the big brand stop across town?

Ask The Editors: Does it Matter What Brand Gasoline I Buy? - ATVConnection.com

 

A very good friend works at local gasoline refinery. Various trucks drive in and fill with 87 and 93 octane gasoline. When the truch pulls away the driver stops and adds a bag of fuel additive to the tanker. Approx 1-2 gallon size bag of aditive is added to that entire tanker of gasoline, this is what determines the brand of fuel. When buying fuel it is far more important to use a station that uses a lot of fuel to keep the fuel in their tanks fresh. Out of the way corner carry out that doesnt sell much fuel is a real gamble as to how fresh the fuel might be or how dirty the tanks in the ground might be from lack of maintenence. Low gas sales means low maintenence on storage tanks. Absolutely nothing wrong with ethenol fuel if your machine is designed for it. When not in use keep tank full or add blue stabil for long term storage! As long as you buy fresh fuel from a well used station you will be fine.

 

@Kymco 450i Just a bit more to add to your information that wasn't mentioned here or in the OP linked post. I've recently experienced, along with others I ride with, that high elevation does have a minor impact on something like 10% ethanol fuel in that it has a lower boiling point. This can be important to know if you have an OHV where you are reaching higher elevations (10k feet +), it happens to be warmer out and your OHV is negatively susceptible to boiling gas. Again, this may come down to the individual OHV to where the fuel heats up as issues such as stalling, pressurized tank and potentially other issues may arise. Yes, the stars may need to align but it is something I've been faced with since I'm riding at altitude frequently in the summer. To get around these issues, I've started running pure fuel, no ethanol, in the summer.

 

Good things to know, have never been fortunate enough to be able to ride in high mountains, education is everything.